LG is set to unveil the still-rumored G2 smartphone at a special event in NY early next month, and in an interview with the Korea Herald, an unnamed company official reveals that that the handset’s physical buttons will all be located on the back of the device, instead of the front or sides. This rumor lines up with previously leaked photos of the G2 that also show its buttons have been placed on the back. Seems odd, doesn’t it?

The South Korean company is looking to make a splash with the latest device by focusing on design instead of just internal hardware. The phone looks compelling, at least based on leaked photos we’ve seen so far, but it isn’t overly different from similar 5-inch handsets. Placing physical buttons on the back of the device is an interesting idea, but it will definitely take some getting used to. It’s also possible that smartphone owners with shorter fingers won’t be able to reach the controls without using both hands, though we hope the company did some consumer testing first.

With its latest handset, LG reportedly plans to distinguish the G series from its Optimus G line, establishing a new line of flagship handsets that can continue on with the G3 and G4 (despite earlier reports that the device would be called the Optimus G2). Under the hood, the G2 is expected to come equipped with a 5.2-inch high-def display, a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM and a 13-megapixel main camera.

Whatever LG ends up unveiling next month at its press conference we’ll be there covering the event live from NY on August 7.